Rare Danish Model 1853/66 17mm Naval Rifle (Fládens Bagladeriffel m/1853-66)

Schleswig-Holstein Wars Wars

16.9mm Danish Snider Rimfire. 27.625" barrel. SN: 169. Bright finish, brass furniture, full-length European hardwood stock with wedge-retained barrel and raised cheek rest. Single shot breechloading cartridge alteration of the Schleswig-Holstein M1849 Thouvenin (Tige or "Pillar Breech") muzzleloading percussion rifle. Lock with weak Pirlot Freres/Liege marking, barrel and breech with {CROWN}/D Danish proof marks. Rifle is numbered 169 throughout, including the barrel, buttplate, side plate, triggerguard, breechblock and ramrod. Equipped with a curved, brass ramp Dahloff "Grasshopper" rear sight graduated to 900 Danish Alen and a fixed blade front sigh. Upper sling swivel behind the nose cap is in place, while the lower triggerguard bow mounted swivel is missing. The rifle is equipped with a Brunswick style saber bayonet mounting bar to accept the Danish M1852 brass handled saber bayonet, designated as the M1853/66 for this rifle.

These rare rifles were originally part of an order of some five thousand Belgian-made Thovenin (pillar breech) percussion rifles by Pirlot Freres, based upon the British Brunswick Rifle, acquired by the rebellious forces in the German states of Schleswig-Holstein, where the guns were designated as the Model 1849. After the rebellion was suppressed, a total of 2,450 of these captured rifles entered Danish service where they were initially modified at the Krongborg Arsenal to accept a Danish saber bayonet. The alterations occurred circa 1853-1855 and the rifles were designated as the Model 1853 and issued to the Danish Navy. After the adoption of the Rolling Block Rifle for infantry service, the lack of funds to obtain those guns for the Navy led to the alteration of many of the the M1853 Rifles to cartridge breechloaders via the Snider system, similar to the British Snider MkIII variant. The guns were chambered for the largest rimfire cartridge to see military service, the Danish 16.9mm RF, also known as the 17x28R or the 17.5x29R. The rifles remained in service until they were replaced by more modern purpose made breechloaders. {ANTIQUE}

This lot is located in Cincinnati.